Detroit – It would be wrong to call this chaos. Last year was pitching chaos. What the Tigers have been doing recently is clever and calculated and tailored specifically toward the next opponent or next series of opponents.
It’s a legal method of roster expansion, using their depth to rotate pitchers at the back end of the bullpen to facilitate matchup advantages against upcoming opponents.
To that end, the Tigers Friday selected the contract of left-handed reliever Drew Sommers from Triple-A Toledo and optioned right-hander Alex Lange back to Toledo. Lange had been added to the bullpen mix ahead of a series against a predominantly right-handed hitting Houston Astros lineup.
“We’ve identified this series, and then Sacramento (the Athletics) and we play the Royals again,” manager AJ Hinch said, referencing the three left-handed heavy teams. “We needed a second lefty. … We weren’t going to go very long without a second lefty. Turned out to be one series.”
Lefties Brant Hurter and Bailey Horn, optioned to Toledo at the beginning of the week, will be eligible to return the first week of September. Lange will almost assuredly be cycled back into the mix next month.
“Alex is definitely still in the mix,” Hinch said. “Obviously, it’s 15 days before he can come back but he is still all the things we talked about before, he’s trending up and his stuff has gotten better. I’m glad we got that first outing out of the way after his rehab. We told him the way we’re going to configure our roster right now did take his roster spot away from him.
“We want him to continue to work on his usage and being able to throw a strike when he wants to throw one. He’ll tackle that. But he is not forgotten. He’s just not on our team right now.”
Sommers, listed at 6-3, 250, has earned the chance to make his big-league debut. The 25-year-old, acquired from the Rays for Mason Englert, has posted a 3.31 ERA in 32.2 innings with the Mud Hens, striking out 41 with 14 walks.
“Drew has been on our radar for a while,” Hinch said. “His stuff has been real and the performance has been good. We had to give him a little experience in the upper levels (Double-A and Triple-A), getting him inheriting runners and going one inning-plus — the way we use our staff. But he’s continued to get the ball on the ground, miss some bats.
“He has a really tough angle, especially against lefties. We’re excited about him. He can help us win.”
In his last nine games, Sommers punched out 12 with two walks over 9.1 innings. He’s also dominated left-handed hitters all season (.165 average, .471 OPS).
“He’s a unique physical presence,” Hinch said. “But it’s the stuff coming out of his hand, too. He’s not a guy who has to rely on deception, but he has both. It’s mid-90s with movement and the sweeper is really good. And with the big, physical body, his stuff is hard to see.”
Sommers, who will wear No. 51, spent his afternoon in meetings with the pitching coaches and getting acclimated with the clubhouse and his new teammates.
“Today is a whirlwind for him,” Hinch said. “Coming to a new organization to our upper levels and now he ends up in the big leagues. He can be ready tonight.”
Kreidler DFA’d
To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Sommers, the Tigers designated utility man Ryan Kreidler for assignment.
“Kreidler can help a team and we’d love to keep him,” Hinch said. “But the 40-man is getting crowded as we get healthier and we make decisions. And I think it’s going to get harder and harder to make these decisions as the team gets better.”
Kreidler, the Tigers’ Opening Day centerfielder this season, was a fourth round pick in 2019 and played parts of four seasons with the Tigers. A shortstop by trade, he was a plus defender at short, third base and centerfield.
He was slashing .251/.374/.410 with a .784 OPS in Triple-A. But his offense has never translated against big-league pitching.
Hinch would love for Kreidler to be able to stay in the organization, but he’s not overly hopeful.
“This time of year, the only way you can get players now if through free agency, minor league free agents, or through waivers,” he said. “Generally speaking, I never think guys are going to get through waivers. There’s so many teams that will just grab them and take them.”
Around the horn
Parker Meadows (right quad strain) went through running outfield drills before the game Friday but there is still no rehab assignment planned. “He’s still not cleared for full-speed running yet,” Hinch said. “It’s hard to put Parker on the field until he can go chase down a fly ball in the gap or leg out a double or triple. As a speed athlete, he really needs to be able to let it loose without any fear.”
… Matt Vierling (left oblique strain) did the same drill work as Meadows Friday. “Parker is ahead of Matt right now just in terms of overall activity and what he can handle from a workload standpoint,” Hinch said.
… Veteran reliever Paul Sewald (right shoulder strain) is scheduled to throw a bullpen before the game Saturday. It will be his first work off the mound since he was shutdown for the second time this season in July.
Royals at Tigers
First pitch: 6:10 p.m. Saturday, Comerica Park
TV/Radio: FDSD/97.1
SCOUTING REPORT
RHP Michael Wacha (8-9, 3.34), Royals: He’s gone 4-0 and allowed two runs or less in each of his last seven starts and his 33% hard-hit rate on the year ranks in the top 99 percentile in baseball. He blanked the Tigers on one hit over seven innings on May 31 in Kansas City. He leans on throwing an elite changeup (.156 opponent average) and cutters off a 93-mph four-seam fastball. Right-handed hitters will get more sinkers and sliders, lefties get his curveball.
RHP Chris Paddack (4-11, 5.10), Tigers: The two starts he made with the Tigers that weren’t against his former team (the Twins), were very good. He’s only faced the Royals once in the last two seasons, so maybe that unfamiliarity will be a good tonic. He’s been throwing first-pitch strikes at a 75% clip, which usually is a good thing. The Twins did a lot of damage against him on those first-pitch strikes. It will be interesting to see how or if he adjusts on that.
@cmccosky
Want to comment on this story? Become a subscriber today. Click here.